Divided Souls
by liveyournightmare
Summary: In the midst of a human war, demons from the Continent have swarmed Japan, stealing the souls of the dying. Inu Taisho is tangled in a fierce demon war against the Hyoga clan, whose greed has caused much suffering in the Western Lands. Can a white tiger princess trapped in the middle of the war overcome her connections to both sides and save the future Japan AND herself?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _I watched my family burn on the funeral pyres. The flames licked at the bloody wounds on their bodies, cleansing them for the afterlife. As is customary, it was I who lit the first spark. Many around me sobbed with grief, but I stood impassively among them. Watching the fire dance in the wind, I dropped the ceremonial torch onto the dry wood. I let the heat of the fires express my sorrow, my guilt…and my hatred. I thought I heard a whisper in the wind, the sound of my mother's voice. "Daughter…" she murmured._

"Reine." The sound of another voice brought me out of my reverie. Time flashed forward and I found myself once again in the ruins of my homeland. The smell of smoke still lingered in my nostrils, despite the decades that had already passed. I turned to acknowledge my unexpected escort, who I had failed to notice until he spoke. I had not realized I had been followed, such foolishness. I was old enough and wise enough to know better.

Sesshomaru dismounted from his two-headed riding beast, stirring up dirt and debris with his boots as he made his way towards me. He must have come directly from the battlefields, his armor and hands smelled of blood. Of course, he doesn't have a single drop on his clothing. No one in this whole war had been able to lay a finger on him, let alone make a scratch. He returned to the castle after every encounter with little more than a bit of dirt under his claws. It was maddening.

"I see you found me." I said sardonically. "If you are going to venture this far out unescorted, you should at least carry a sword. You could have been followed."

Sesshomaru chose to ignore my critique. He has refused to carry any other swords but his father's. The Lord Inu Taisho won't allow his son to even touch his weapons, let alone wield them in battle. I admired Sesshomaru's resolve, but his refusal to use a sword even in the midst of the war was idiotic. Our enemies carried swords, and someday one will make it past his defense and strike. He'll wish too late that he had carried a sword.

"You haven't returned to this place in many years." He knelt and picked up a fistful of ash, letting it fall through his fingers. "And yet, this ground appears untouched by time." The ash sifted through his long fingers, drifting back down to the blackened earth. The color stuck to his pale skin, tinting his palm and fingers with a sickly pigment.

"Land that has seen great bloodshed does not easily forget. The remains of my home and my people will never return to the earth. This place is forever cursed." I said, unstopping my water skin. "As I am cursed." I reached for Sesshomaru's hand and turned it over. Carefully I poured the water over it, rinsing the ash back to the ground. "What remains here is poison. Don't let it cling to your boots or you will bring its ill nature with you wherever you walk."

"I have no interest in listening to illogical superstitions." He said, inclining his head towards his two-headed demon mount, waiting for us. "Your absence at the castle was noticed."

"And unauthorized. I suppose your father asked you to follow me and ensure I returned this time. He shouldn't have bothered. I wasn't going to look for any trouble and I had no intentions of escaping the cage your family has put me in." I looked up, boring holes into his golden eyes with my sapphire ones. "Not today, at least."

He mounted, taking my arm and pulling me up behind him. The wind shifted and a new scent lingered with the smells of ash and death. I saw him stiffen in front of me, not a split second before an arrow lodged itself in my right shoulder blade. Without thinking I twisted around, catching the second arrow aimed for Sesshomaru. The shaft of the arrow snapped in two and I released it, ignoring the blistering pain in my right arm and shoulder.

"Stop testing me," I hissed, "And get us out of here before they swarm us!"

Sesshomaru snapped the reigns and Ah-Un took flight, dodging the arrows that followed us. Once we were away from the village and far out of range, Sesshomaru slid back and carefully helped me sit in front of him.

"It didn't hit any vital organs, but I have to push it through, the tip was barbed and it's deep." He said, examining my shoulder.

"Hurry," I groaned and struggled to stay upright, "The poison is a new concoction. It's not pleasant and I think I could actually die if it's left in there much longer." I unclasped my front plate armor, letting it drop to the ground far below us. "I can't believe you allowed yourself to be followed here. How did you not notice?" Without hesitating or giving warning, Sesshomaru pushed the arrow through. My vision exploded and I cried out, fighting to stay conscious. I heard him reach around and snap off the tip. Prepared, I braced myself as he pulled the rest of the arrow out from my back.

"We'll take the tip back with us to have it examined." He said, "We will need to develop an antidote against it and have it sent to the fields."

"You KNEW they were tailing you. Not only did you know, you LET me get hit so we would have a sample of the toxins." I said bitterly, spitting blood.

Sesshomaru did not deny the truth of my accusation. The storm clouds above us were becoming unsettling, the winds grew wild and fierce the farther we traveled. An eerie green filled the sky by the time we approached the gates of Lord Inu Taisho's lands. Sesshomaru cursed as an enemy scout sighted us and took to the trees, probably to deliver his report, which now included us.

"Leave him," I said, weakly tugging his arm back from the reigns, "I need the healers. Thanks to you."

The soldiers at the gates raced to meet us as we landed, taking the rear and shouting for the gatekeepers to let us pass. The gates opened just enough to let us into courtyard. Sesshomaru dismounted without giving me a second thought, walking away. I started to dismount and slipped; a footman ran forward and guided me down. As I recovered my footing, Lord Inu Taisho emerged from the castle to meet us.

"Father." Sesshomaru said, "We have new samples of moth poison."

 _My body was in flames. I watched the destruction from within – I had lost complete control. The air was filled with the sound of screams and the smell of blood. It covered me, boiling hot like the fires. I felt their lives diminish beneath my sword, a distant voice called out to me in anguish. "Daughter, please…" The people begged for mercy, for help. Their words meant nothing. They were nothing. I ripped their hearts from their chests, I tore them limb from limb. Each wound I caused made my insides burn, but I did not care. I begged for the end. My words meant nothing. I was nothing._

Inu Taisho ignored Sesshomaru and brushed past him, hastening his steps as Reine blacked out and collapsed against the soldier who had helped her.

"I need a healer!" Inu Taisho shouted, lifting Reine into his arms in one fluid motion.

"We need to get the samples to the fields." Sesshomaru said, "The apothecary-"

"Sesshomaru!" Inu Taisho snarled. "She's DYING." He shouldered past his oldest son, watching Reine's breathing catch in ragged gasps. The healers met him at the castle doors, hurrying behind him inside. The doors slid shut behind them, echoing against the village buildings. Sesshomaru allowed his mount to be taken to the stables, silently handing the arrowhead to an army courier.

 _I heard voices through the paper door, laughing and talking animatedly over their meals. As I waited with bated breath as the chatter gradually died to a murmur. One voice spoke out, warm and inviting, "Friends! Thank you for gathering here in my home today. We have many things to celebrate this fine evening. As an offering of peace and friendship, I would like to present my eldest daughter, who will bless us with a ceremonial fan dance. The door slid open and a hand reached out towards me. I took the hand and stepped into the room, allowing my father to present me to his guests._

 _"May I present, Reine Hime, my daughter and heir," Father said exuberantly, beaming at me with pride. My father was never subtle, he wore his heart on his sleeve openly and honestly with all he met, enemy and friend alike. Many found it unseemly for a man to show such feelings in public, but I found it endearing._

 _"_ Yoroshiku onegai shimasu! _" I said, bowing slightly. The guests smiled at me and my father as he led me to the front of the room and returned to his seat of honor. I reached into the sleeves of my furisode for my silk fans. I had chosen my favorite kimono for the occasion – a soft pink brocade embroidered with white flowers. The obi was fletched with gold threads and adorned with a red obijime. My father had this furisode created for me when I became eligible for potential suitors._

 _I smiled and acknowledged my younger siblings, accompanying me with voice, drum, and shamisen. Turning to my captivated audience, I bent my knees slightly, sliding my right foot behind my left. Raising my closed fan, I waited for Miyuki to open in song. As she offered a prayer of blessing over the performance and sang her first notes, I bowed slightly again and opened my fan in a slow careful motion. The drum began to beat, my feet moved along to its slow, concise rhythm. As the shamisen joined in, I continued through a series of complex dances and forms. When the music increased in tempo, I revealed my hidden second fan. Holding both in one hand, I continued to dance, fluttering the fans as though they were moved by the wind. I glanced at the crowd and saw a shimmer of dust. It sparkled around and disappeared around a handsome man in the back of the room. I caught his gaze and his eyes threatened to engulf me. The music played faster and faster, reaching its peak. I split the fans, twirling them simultaneously in my hands, dancing in fervor. My steps slowed as the drums marked the end of the dance. I ended the way I began – slightly kneeling, but with both open fans held out before me._

 _There was a pause, and the audience erupted in delight and praise. As the younger children were escorted away by my mother, my father sprang forward to once again present me to his guests. This time, I would greet each one individually. The guests made their way forward in small groups at a time while the others waited in line or chatted on the side lines. There were many other them. I smiled politely and allowed the younger men to touch my hand. I did my best to be respectful of all of the well-wishers, but I was interested in finding the man who had distracted me from my dance. At last he approached me, with a small smile. A man who must have been his father stood next to him. "This is my daughter," Father said for the hundredth time that evening._

 _"I am honored by your dance, beautiful Hime." The older man said, "I am Hyoga, a Lord of the Continents. This is my son and heir, Menomaru Ouji."_

 _"_ _Yoroshiku onegai shimasu Menomaru Ouji," I said for the hundredth time, but as though I were only saying it for him._

 _Lord Hyoga pulled my father aside privately, drawing him away from us. Menomaru politely took my hand, placing a brief kiss upon it._

 _"You truly are a beautiful dancer. Do you also dance with others?" He asked._

 _"Only when my partner is equally skilled." I replied coyly, "And that is rare. My father rarely permits anyone to dance with me. He values my honor more than his own."_

 _"I may decide to take a private walk through the sakura gardens, to reflect on the evening's excitement." I said softly._

 _"Suppose I step out, because the crowds begin to tire me. And I stumble upon a beautiful view in the gardens."_

 _"You would have no choice but to admire it."_

 _"And if it was a woman unescorted-"_

 _"Of course you would do the honorable thing and remain in her company. Terrible things can happen to a woman who is left alone and undefended."_

 _My father was returning. I bowed to Menomaru, faking a stumble as he bowed in return. As his hands reached out to steady me, he whispered "Ten minutes?"_

 _"Five." I whispered back, pulling away and faking an embarrassed apology as my father once again took my arm._

 _"Forgive us, Menomaru. The dance has made my daughter weary. Please Reine, return to your rooms and rest. There will be time for more festivities and friendships tomorrow."_

 _"Thank you, father." I said warmly, keeping my eyes on Menomaru. "I am honored by your guests." My father grandly announced my departure, and as I was escorted from the room I felt a strange presence, like a predator watching its prey. I glanced back the room to see Menomaru already slipping outside stealthily. No one else seemed out of place, but I could not dismiss the feeling of being watched. I turned and left, not seeing the two pairs of golden eyes my father had noticed watching me._

 _As soon as I entered my rooms and dismissed the servants for the remainder of the night ("I am too weary to be fussed over, I will undress myself tonight.") I latched the door and ran through the sitting rooms to the balcony, releasing my hair from its ornaments. It fell in loose silver tendrils as I jumped off the balcony, calling the wind to silence my fall. My feet scarcely touched the ground before I began to run towards my garden, where no one was permitted to enter. I arrived to find the night man dozing, a glimmer of dust on his face. I opened the gate and shut it quietly. The path was alight with fireflies, who sparkled and danced around each other. I looked for Menomaru by the light of the moon above us, finally spotting him beneath my favorite weeping cherry blossom tree. I laughed and he turned at the sound._

 _"Your laughter is as musical as bells," He said, extending a hand._

 _I withdrew a fan and placed it in his palm._

 _"Do you think that you can match pace with me?" I asked, challenging._

 _In response, Menomaru flicked the fan open with his wrist,_

 _"I think I can manage." He said, crossing fan hands with me. "Shall we dance?"_

 _The sound approaching voices? My father? Or -_

" – no need to worry, her vitals are stable and her breathing has normalized. I promise you my lord, Hime is going to be all right. After a few weeks of strict bed rest and light activity, she will be at full strengths again." The healer saw that I was conscious and smiled, "You gave us all a fright Reine Hime but the strength of the byakko prevails even when many daiyokai fall."

"Thank you, Chiryo-shi." Inu Taisho said, relieved. "That will be all for tonight. Take care."

"Don't excite her, my lord. Please make it a brief visit. Her strength is to be commended, but she is in a delicate condition. Rest will be her most powerful medicine.

"Yes, yes. I will heed your wisdom," Inu Taisho said, waving the healer out. "Thank you."

I stiffened as he reached out to touch my face. Silently he brushed his fingers lightly against my cheekbones. I felt water.

"You were crying while you were unconscious." He said gently, "The antidote was a difficult one, I'm afraid you were made to suffer longer than you should have been. The healer gave you something to numb the effect, once he was certain he had nullified the toxins."

"…It wasn't because of the pain." I said, looking away. I hadn't felt any pain after I fell from Sesshomaru's steed. I didn't remember anything after that. Now I could feel the after effects of the poison as my senses returned. I couldn't control the shaking of my hands and my entire body had a dulled feeling of pain.

"Hallucinations?" Inu Taisho suggested.

"No." I said shortly. "Memories."

"I see."

There was a stretch of silence. I could see a sliver of light through the window. Was it nearly dawn? I had been unconscious much of the day and into the night.

"I am thankful I sent Sesshomaru to look after you," Inu Taisho said. "If you had been left alone when the assassins targeted you-"

"I was not the target." I said abruptly, cutting him off. "I went to my home alone. I was not followed by anyone but your son."

"What are you trying to say?" Inu Taisho said seriously.

"Your son knew he was being followed. Instead of picking them off, he allowed them to move downwind of us so I wouldn't sense them. He made me sit behind him on the ride instead of in front as is proper. He heard the first arrow and chose to let it strike me so that he could collect the poison for analysis. He waited when the second arrow was shot to see if I would keep him from harm. It was all intentional. He used me as his personal cadaver." I turned back to glare at Inu Taisho, "They would NEVER send assassins out for me. You know that as well as I do."

Inu Taisho sat silently, listening to me as my voice grew louder and louder in my anger.

"Do you think that you have protected me by putting Sesshomaru at my side at every available opportunity? He has never once raised a hand to help me, let alone protect me. I am not valued by him, he doesn't value anyone. You call this prison a new family, agreed upon and enforced between fathers, despite objections and the fact that my father is now dead. I am the rightful heir of the Byakko and yet I am treated like your subject. This is not a family or a partnership between two lands! I am not your daughter – I am your political hostage! Now get out! If I can't choose which land I live in or where I can go, I WILL choose my company and what I do with my time locked away in your cage."

Inu Taisho opened his to respond, but thought better of it. He took the lamp from the stand and slid open the door, pausing in the doorway. I looked past him and saw that Sesshomaru was standing in the hall, just outside the room.

"Just leave me alone," I whispered, turning away from the light.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Despite my outburst, Inu Taisho returned to visit with me every evening. Sesshomaru never came. I refused to participate in most of the conversation, but Inu Taisho acted like he didn't mind. In a way his presence wasn't unwelcome because he included me in the war counsel. I could not meet with them all due to my condition, but Inu Taisho would come to me after the meetings. I never offered any advice or opinions, which often irritated him.

Japan had never experienced invaders before these Mongols sent ambassadors, demanding that she become a vassal of Kublai Khan. Human generals had not needed to command large troops for nearly half a century. When the Mongols first arrived with their ships and explosives, Japan nearly fell. The invading soldiers slaughtered the unprepared soldiers. Many of the demon daimyo stood by and watched, unwilling to get involved in petty human affairs. But Inu Taisho recognized the threat the Mongols served to the prosperity of Japan. His compassion for humanity combined with his centuries of travel and wartime experience persuaded him to give counsel to the inexperienced generals. His leadership allowed the humans to defeat the invaders and prepare for their return.

This time, the Mongols did not come alone. Their bloodlust after their first defeat attracted many powerful demons, who followed their second fleet to Japan, intent on claiming the souls of the dead to increase their own powers. My father had orchestrated an agreement between the demon daimyo of the Continent and those of Japan several centuries ago. It promised future generations' peace and friendship between our two peoples. Despite his death, the agreement still stood and remained binding. I am glad my father was not alive to witness the betrayal of his best friend, who incited the Continent demons into following him here.

The daimyo learned much about warfare after the first Mongol invasion, the Battle of Bunai. They spent the last few years of silence preparing for the Mongols inevitable return. Just this May, the Mongols did return in full strength. The human lords had been prepared for their second arrival and over the summer weeks the Mongols were being driven away from island to island. Human soldiers died by the handfuls, their souls consumed by the demons lying in wait. Our battle was with them.

"Their strength grows daily," Inu Taisho said, two weeks after my injury, "If the invasions drag out the entire summer, they will consume enough souls to surpass the power of any who would oppose them here. As they are now, I do not have the strength to completely destroy them."

The situation looked bleak. Despite Inu Taisho's warnings, the humans refused to take prisoners, choosing to execute every Mongol they encountered. Each passing minute gave more souls to our enemies. Many times, Inu Taisho arrived looking battle worn and exhausted.

"There is no end to them!" He said one evening, watching me eat the first solid food I'd been permitted in six weeks. "For every demon we strike down, more take his place. And the daimyo responsible are biding their time, letting their underlings harvest the souls for them. No one has sighted them for weeks."

I set down my finished meal, reaching for a bowl of sake. "The Mongols are nearly annihilated," I said, "The demons will turn to making their own kills if you allow this war to dwindle any longer. Once the Mongols are dead, they will feed on the souls of our people instead. They will be impossible to overcome once that happens."

"Please, Reine. I know how you feel about my family. But this is your homeland! I need you in the war room - as your father's successor. And a former ally of our enemies." Inu Taisho grabbed my shoulders, "You have to consider the consequences of remaining neutral. The other side does not honor those who remain out of the battle. You know that."

 _"Daughter, come greet your visitors." Father extended his hand, drawing me into his study. "I think you will remember them from the festivities last year."_

 _Could it be? Has he returned?_

"I'll consider your words." I said, looking away. We both knew that was impossible. I would never choose a side in this war. I couldn't.

The time finally came when I was able to leave the sick room and take quiet walks on the grounds. At first the healer insisted that I be accompanied, but after the first few days I put my foot down. Inu Taisho, trying to pacify me, instructed that I be left alone. Even the short walk to the koi garden behind the shrine (built for Inu Taisho's human vassals, despite Sesshomaru's disdain) left me weak and drained. Despite this, I refused assistance, preferring to rest for hours in the gardens before making the tiring walk back to my rooms.

The first time I was able to walk alone, I waited quietly in the brush, leaning against an old maple tree. All was silent, only the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind and the rippling of the water could be heard. At last, a shower of glittering dust caused me to look up, smiling into the darkness.

"I wasn't sure that you would be here." I said, letting Menomaru pull me onto the branch he was sitting on.

"I've barely been at the camps. I've waited every evening to make sure you were all right." He gently buried his fingers in my hair, drawing me closer. "Forgive me. The men who harmed you are no longer with the living. I didn't mean to get you involved."

"None of this is your fault." I said, touching his face.

"I still feel responsible. My father is beyond reason. His desire for power has evolved to madness. The only good thing in this whole situation is the fact I am able to see you as often as I want."

"Inu Taisho said the humans are nearly finished." I said, "Is it true your father intends to feed on us once the Mongols have been defeated?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Father only followed the Mongols here. Once they leave, he will follow them to the next foolish country they attempt to overthrow. He may be power hungry, but he still holds sentiment for this place." Menomaru said passionately, "You have my word. No harm will come to Japan aside from the souls taken from this war."

"And when you leave," I hesitated.

"When I leave-?" Menomaru queried

"Am I going with you?" I asked softly.

He pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me. "You can come to the moon with me if you want," he murmured, kissing cheek.

The sound of voices alerted us – the unconscious guards must be waking out of Menomaru's sleeping dust.

"Meet me here again in three days," Menomaru said, lifting me down to the ground, "I have something for you."

"Until then." I whispered

"Goodnight, my love." He disappeared into the night as the night man approached me.

"Reine Hime, it is so late! Won't you return to your rooms? Your strength –"

"I am fine, just winded. I'll walk myself." Turning my back on the tree, I began the laborious trek back to the castle, smiling at the trail of dust that followed and chased my feet.

As I returned to my rooms I nearly collided into Sesshomaru in the hall. "I'm sorry," I said genuinely, "I was in my own thoughts."

Sesshomaru ignored my apology and brushed past, taking a few steps. Suddenly he stopped and turned back, grabbing my hand. "What?" I said, "I already said I was sorry –"

"What is that smell?" He asked, pulling me closer and smelling my hair. "It's familiar."

"One of the guards half carried me back here. You probably smell him." I said. I took several steps backward, wrenching free from his grip. "I overtire quickly, not that you would notice. If you'll excuse me, I'm retiring for the evening."

I stalked away, hoping he didn't notice my racing heartbeat. It was good that the war was nearly finished. I wouldn't be able to conceal Menomaru from them for much longer.

That night, Sesshomaru entered InuTaisho's study with a grim expression. Without waiting for permission, he sat himself down and poured himself some sake. His father waited silently for his son to speak up, watching his face carefully. "It will be soon." Sesshomaru said finally. "A few days, at most. Then we'll have the advantage."

"She will never forgive you." Inutaisho said, "Your - for lack of a better word – relationship, will be destroyed. Possibly beyond repair."

"That matters little to me." Sesshomaru said flatly, "And once everything is said and done, it won't be relevant. It doesn't matter what she'll think of me. All that concerns me is what she'll think of him, and how that will affect the outcome of our goals."

"Your coldness makes you an excellent tactician, my son." Inu Taisho said, "But you shouldn't let reason dictate what's in your heart. Emotions make your heart beat strong. That is the true meaning of strength."

"I don't need to hear more of your meaningless philosophies, father." Sesshomaru said briskly, standing. "It's ridiculous."

"Then why do you feel angry when you smell that man on her?" Inu Taisho put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Are you certain this is what you want?"

Sesshomaru chose not to answer, leaving his father's study and pathetic romances behind.


End file.
